Pennsylvania to Utah: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state applicants without an equivalent master license (standard route with out-of-state experience credit)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Applicants whose origin jurisdiction is gray on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber map (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York and Alaska on the 7/27/2020 map) meet Utah's standard master qualifications: 4,000 hours of licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor, or 2,000 supervisory hours plus an associate of applied science or similar degree from a CHEA-recognized institution (transcripts may verify 2,000 hours). Journeyman hours earned in another state count when documented on the Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience for Master Level Applicants form by the employer, with official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained. The applicant then passes the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination (75% or greater) through Prov and submits the DOPL application with the $116 fee. Jurisdictions shown in light blue (Idaho, South Dakota, California C-36, Nevada C-1D, Arizona CR-37, New Mexico MM-1, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee CMC-A, North Carolina Plumbing Class 1 and Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor) issue contractor licenses with similar scope; an applicant who was the responsible individual who met the licensing requirements on behalf of that contractor may instead qualify for endorsement.
Exam requirement conflict: the 2020 endorsement map's qualifications box says master applicants 'Pass the Utah Plumbers Theory and Practical Examination', and the v20260420 application's general INITIAL APPLICATION line says to pass 'both the Utah Plumbers Written and Practical Examination for the level of licensure you are applying', but the master-specific checklist item and the current Apply for a Master Plumber License page require only the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination at 75%. The Law-and-Rule-only reading is used here; whether an applicant who never passed Utah's journeyman written/practical exams must also take them was not confirmed. Experience wording also differs: the apply page says '4,000 hours ... as a supervisor', the 2020 map says 'licensed journeyman plumber for at least 2 years, with a minimum 2 years of supervisory experience'. Whether the supervisory hours must be earned under a Utah journeyman license or may all be out-of-state was not confirmed.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor; reduced to 2,000 hours with an associate of applied science or similar degree from a CHEA-recognized institution. At least 2,000 and no more than 3,000 hours may be credited per 12-month period.
- Hours obtained outside Utah must be supported by official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where they were obtained, in addition to the employer-completed Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience form.
What you'll do to get licensed in Utah
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($116). Non-refundable DOPL application-processing fee (application v20260420).
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination, 75% or greater, administered by Prov; exam fee paid to Prov; pass before submitting the DOPL application.
- 3Other. Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience for Master Level Applicants form(s), degree transcripts if using the 2,000-hour route, and official out-of-state license verification.
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core, 4 core or professional) to renew.
Published fees on this path total $116, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Utah licenses master plumbers
Utah master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Utah issues a statewide Master Plumber license through DOPL under Utah Code 58-55 and Rule R156-55c, alongside a Residential Master Plumber license limited to residential work. A new master needs 4,000 hours of licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor (or an associate of applied science or similar CHEA-recognized degree plus 2,000 supervisory hours) and must pass the Prov-administered Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination with at least 75%; the DOPL application fee is $116. Utah has no master-level reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state masters whose license is green on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber map apply by endorsement under Utah Code 58-1-302 after holding the license at least one year, active and in good standing, but 'All applicants will be required to pass the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule exam.' Several states issue only a plumbing contractor license (light blue on the map); DOPL may endorse the individual who qualified as that contractor's responsible person. Applicants without an equivalent license use verified out-of-state journeyman supervisory hours toward the standard route. Renewal requires 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle.
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania master plumber · “Master Plumber (city-issued; no state licence)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania issues no statewide master plumber or plumbing-contractor licence; none of the Department of State's 29 boards covers the trade, so the master-level credential exists only in cities that have chosen to license it. Allentown posts a 2026 Master Plumber Exam Application and requires a separate business licence to contract. Harrisburg posts a plumbing licence application whose master-versus-journeyman split was not verified. Pittsburgh's plumbing trade-licence page 404'd. There is no state-level recognition of an out-of-state master plumber licence and no municipal programme verified here that waives the plumbing trade exam. An arriving master should expect to apply city by city, document local experience thresholds, and sit each city's exam (ICC or city-written) unless that city later publishes an exam-waiver rule.
How local licensing works in Pennsylvania
How local licensing works. With no state plumbing board, each Pennsylvania city that licenses master plumbers does so under its own ordinance. The journeyman card, where it exists, does not authorise pulling permits or running a shop; the master (or master-contractor) licence does. A master licence is valid only in the issuing city. The journeyman page states that a journeyman works 'under a licensed master plumber' and may not operate a business, which implies the master licence is the contracting credential. Other PLI trade licences are issued to individuals, expire 365 days from issue, and (for electrical and mechanical) accept ICC master exams for any code year plus a stated experience total; whether plumbing follows that pattern is unverified. 2025 plumbing licence fee unknown.
Allentown. 2026 Master Plumber Exam Application is posted under Professional Trades Licensing. Contracting requires the trades licence and a city business licence. Reciprocity not mentioned on the landing page. Electrical Option B on that same form (eight years in lieu of exam) must not be assumed to apply to plumbing.
Inbound master. No Pennsylvania state licence and no verified exam-waiver reciprocity. Plan on a new application in each city where permits will be pulled. Philadelphia is the most fully documented shop: obtain the Master Plumber's License after (typically) holding or qualifying beyond the journeyman ICC path; confirm current master fees and exam on the master service page before applying. Allentown requires its master plumber exam application plus a business licence. Scranton uses the 2021 master contractor packet. Statewide reciprocity: none.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Utah master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- The trade exam is waived, but Utah requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Utah master plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $116, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Utah?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Utah to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act) · Utah Code 58-55-302; 58-1-302 (license by endorsement) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Apply for a Master Plumber License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Plumber Application (JP / RJP / MP / RMP) with Verification of Plumbing Experience forms, checklist and instructions · Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301 (cited on the form) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55c - Plumber Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55c · Utah Office of Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.